A 7 km (4 mile) lake in northern Pakistan, created by a mountain mud flow, threatens to burst and trigger potentially “catastrophic” floods downstream, warned officials on Saturday.
The mud flow came into the main channel of Ghizer River and blocked it completely on Friday, creating the lake in the province of Gilgit Baltistan, said National Disaster Management Authority.
The blocking has created a “dam structure” which represents a significant threat of burst, he said in a situation report from his provincial office.
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The new lake “can cause a catastrophic flood,” said Zakir Hussain, Managing Director of the Province for Disaster Management.
Four downstream districts – Ghizer, Gilgit, Astore and Diamer – face a serious threat, he told Reuters.
Ghizer has been north of mountain districts in northwestern Pakistan where the floods launched by the worst monsoon rains of this year and clouds have killed nearly 400 people since August 15.
A video shared by the national authority on a WhatsApp group where it publishes statements shows that the black mud slipped on the mountain before landing in the river. Reuters could not independently check the video, who said that an authority manager was shot by residents.
Similar mud flows have landed in the river from different mountain flanks, said provincial government spokesperson Faraq Faraq.
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A shepherd on a higher ground, the first to spot the flow of mud crazy, alerted the villagers and local authorities, he said. Following the warning, he said, nearly 200 people on dozens of dispersed houses nestled in the mountain sides and the surroundings of the river were saved.
The lake began to unload water, which means that the threat of a burst is moving away, but the sudden floods in downstream districts cannot be excluded until the lake is completely cleared, Faraq said.
The downstream communities were responsible for staying on alert and leaving the areas along the river, he said.
The floods across Pakistan have killed 785 since the start of the monsoon at the end of June, the national authority said, warning of two other rain spells by September 10.
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